Ronnie Jay Towns sentenced to life for 2015 murders of Bud and June Runion
Nearly 10 years after the deaths of Bud and June Runion, Ronnie Jay Towns has pleaded guilty to their murders and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
McRAE-HELENA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Nearly 10 years after the deaths of Bud and June Runion, Ronnie Jay Towns has pleaded guilty to their murders and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to Telfair County Sheriff Sim Davidson.
Bud and June Runion (File)
In January 2015, Towns lured Bud and June Runion, a couple from Marietta, to Telfair County under the pretense of selling them a classic car—a 1966 Mustang—through an advertisement on Craigslist. When the Runions didn’t return home, family members reported them missing, which led to an intense search. Investigators eventually found the couple’s SUV and their bodies submerged in a lake in Telfair County. Towns was arrested a short time later.
In 2018, a judge dismissed murder charges against Towns, ruling the grand jury had not met proper requirements. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the decision in 2019, throwing out the original indictment. However, Towns was re-indicted in January 2020 by the Oconee Circuit District Attorney Tim Vaughn.
In April 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reported new evidence in the case that was found during a search of the Horse Creek area in Telfair County. Items linked to the Runions, including a .22 caliber rifle, their drivers’ licenses, credit cards and a cell phone, were recovered. Authorities also executed two search warrants at a property in the 400 block of Webb Cemetery Road and collected additional evidence.
“We are thankful to have closure in this case, and our prayers are with both families,” Sheriff Davidson wrote on Facebook on Monday.
